Connecting branch sleeve.



PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

n m w 4 M m H 2 w APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1904.

PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908. 1). P. O'BRIEN. CONNECTING BRANCH SLEEVE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12. 1904.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

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Wm E [$2 county of Essex, and State ol New JGISi "BTW A it: 9 ALT rue DENIS r. O'BRIEN, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CONNECTING BRAllCH SLEEVE.

specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed may 12.1904, Serial No. 207,611-

To all whom it concern: Be it known that LDENrs l OBnrus, acitizen oi the United States, residing at N ewc-rli,

. J have invented certain now and useiul Ira-- rovements in Connecting Branch Sleeves,

ly described and represented in the followmg specification and the accompanying drawlugs forming a port of the same.

This invention relates to inmrovements in split sleeves for use in maxing connections with water mains under pressure. These split sleeves, as usually constructed, consist of two members adapted to inclose a water main and rovided with flanges by which they may no secured together ln positionabout the main. One of these membersis usually termed the back and the other the front or hub member, and this latter member is provided in its hub with an o ening of the size of. the opening to be tappe' in the water main, with which opening in the water main such openin in the hub registers. At its outer end this hub is usually provided with a flange or otherwise shaped, in order to adapt it for connection with a valve casing. In attaching these sleeves to water'main, the space between the inner surface of the sleeve and the outer surface of the main must be packed to prevent leakage, the packing ordinarily employed being lead or sulfur and sand, which, while in a molten state, is poured into this space. In order to economaize in the amount of packing material used in this space, it is necessary that the outer surface of the main and inner surface of the sleeve should approach each other as closely as possible, leaving, however, a; sullicicnt space between them to permit the packing material to flow easily. A further reason for this close proximity between the inner surface of the sleeve and the outer surface of the main is that it is necessary to provide a substantial] rigid bearing or engagement between the two surfaces so as to revent movement of one relatively to the other because of the constantly varying pressures in the main, which relative movement when it does take place in time results in such a compression of the acking as to cause leakage. i Heretor'ore it ias been necessary, in order to secure this close proximity of the inner surface of the sleeve and outer surlapc of the nal diameter. Furthermore, the records of water works systems to the size of mains sunk in the ground many years ago are not acmirate as to the size of mains and it ire-- qucntly happens that a cmitractor or cit' relying upon such records of early wor would order a sleeve for a main according to the records, but upon uncovering the main and adjusting the slccve thereon they would ascertain that the sleeve either would not lit on the main at all and was therefore useless or would be so unnecessarily large as to re suit in a great waste of lead-to pack the space between the main and sleeve, it being frequently necessary in the latter case to ernploy iron or other wedges in filling up the space between the sleeve and main so as to lock the two together and thus prevent the movement of one relatively to the other above referred to.

It is the objectof the present invention to im rove the construction oi these sleeves, am prin'uu'ily, to provide a sleeve of such construction that it can, with slight changes, such as an ordinary workman can make, in its internal construction, be adapted for, or accommodated to, mains of any of the usual diameters, thus rmidcring it unnecessary for water works companies to keep on hand the sleeves of dill'erent internal diameters hcre toi'ore referred to.

The present invention has for its object also certain other improvements in these sleeves whereby they canbe much more ccononiically and more e'li'ectively packed than is possible with such prior constructions.

As a full understanding of the improvements of the present invention can best be given by a detailed description of an organization embodying the same, such description will now be given in connection with the ac companying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a transverse section of a water main provided with a s lit sleeve embodying the improvements of tie present invention in their preferred forms; the front or hub,

' bolted the flange of a valve casing 6 of well known construction. Heretofore the two members of a split sleeve have been rovided with a substantially smooth or unbro en interior surface, and, as before pointed out, it was necessary to have sleeves of varying diame ter toaccommodate mains of varying exter nal diameters. In the )resent case, however, the sleeve and pre erably each of the two members thereof, is providedwith a plurality v of projections 7 suitably distanced apart circumferentially of the sleeve for engagement with the other surface of the main upon which the sleeve may be adjusted.

Preferably, two sets of such projections are provided, longitudinally of the sleeve, one on each side of the opening 8 in the hub, and preferably also each set consists of or comprises four such projections. Preferably also these projections instead of being formed directly u on the inner surface of the sleeve, are forme uppn circumferential rings 9 projecting inwardly from the surface of the sleeve, such rings being provided for a urose which will b hereinafter referre to.

ach of these projections 7 is of such small size, as to length and width, that portions thereof may be readily chi ed oil or other- Wise removed from the en y any ordinary workman so as to accommodate the sleeve,

to any main to which it is desired to apply it no matter what the diameter of that main may be within the usualdimits. As these projections 7 are shown in the drawing they are adapted for engagement with the periphcry of a main of the minimum diameter, and in use they will bear directly against the periphery of the main so as to prevent any movement of the main and sleeve relatively to each other because of variations of pressure in the main. Should the main to which the sleeve is to be applied, however, be of larger diameter than the minimum all that it is necessary for the workman to do, in order to accommodate the sleeve to such larger sized main is to chip. oil a small portion of the ends of the projections, and preferably of each one, the amount so chipped from each of the projections varying in accordance with the diameter of the mains. These projections are of such height as to provide for the accommodation of mains of all diameters and 1n the case of a mam of the largest diameter substantially the whole of each projection will be removed, the main in that case resting directly u on the rings 9. A clearance will therefore provided by these rin s between the inner. surface of the sleeve an the outer surface of the main so that the space between the two surfaces may be readily packed with molten lead, either around the opening 8 in the hub or at the ends of the sleeve or at both places. In order to provide for the packin of the two surfaces around the opening 8, the front or hub momerases ber of the sleeve is provided interiorly with a ring 10 surrounding the opening 8 and at asuitable distance therefrom to provide a space for the reception of yarn or the like to hold the lead together. in ordcr to adapt the sleeve for packing at its opposite ends also the interior diameter of the sleeve is in creased at each end, as indicated at '11, 11, so as to rovide sullicicnt space for the reception an free flowage of the lead packing.

The flanges 12 of the two members of the sleeve may be secured together in any suitable manner, but preferably by means of bolts '13 passing through the flanges. The meeting faces of these flanges also are so shaped as to adapt them to be economically packed should packing at these points be de; sired. For this purpose the meeting faces of the flanges are provided with recesses 14, one of which will preferably be present in each face, as in Fig. 2, although one recess,

as 14*, may be employed in one face, theand 4, the inner sleeve is provided on oppo- 7 site sides of the opening in the hub mem of the sleeve with projections 7, and the back member is provided with a single projection 7 in line with such hub member; the main in this case resting directly against the inner surface of the hub mvi'nber of the sleeve.

What I claim is:-

1. A split sleeve for making connections to water mains under pressure provided with an intcriorly projecting portion or portions of small dimensions so as to be capable of being readily reduced in depth to adapt the sleeve to mains of different diameters, substantially as described. I A 2. A split sleeve for making connections to water mains under pressure provided on opposite sides of the hub opening, considered lengthwise of the sleeve, with interiorly projecting portions of small dimensions so as to be capable of being readily reduced in depth to adapt the sleeve to mains of different diameters, substantially as described.

3. A split sleeve for making connections to water mains under ressure provided on opposite sides of the rub opening, considered lengthwise of the sleeve, with rings each'hav ing an inwardly projecting portion or portions of small dimensions so as to be capable of being readily reduced in depth to adapt the sleeve to mains of different diameters, substantially as described.

4. A split sleeve for making connections to Water mains under pressure provided on each side of the hub opening, considered lengthwise of the sleeve, with a plurality of projecting portions of small dimensions so as to be capable of being readily reduced in de th to adapt the sleeve to mains o't' dili'erent iameters, substantially as described.

5. A split sleeve for making connections to water mains under pressure provided on each side of the hub opening, considered length wise of the sleeve, with 21, ring having at plurality of projecting portions of small dimensions so as to be-capeble of being readily reduced in depth to adapt the sleeve to mains of difl'erent diameters, substantially as described.

- 6. A split sleeve for making eonneetions to water mains under pressure provided with an I my hand, in t interiorly projecting portion or ortions of small dimensions so as to be cape 1e of being readily reduced in depth to adept the sleeve,

trodueed into the recess, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set e presence of two subscribing DENlS r. OBRIEN.

witnesses.

\Vitnesses:

J. A. GRAVES, A. W mm. 

